Book Jumpers
by OnceUponAHarryJackson
Summary: Ally and Julie are just ordinary girls- or as ordinary as you can get when you're a fangirl. But when Ally reads Divergent and somehow finds herself sucked into the book, their world will never be the same. But can they get OUT before catastrophe strikes?
1. Chapter 1

"_There is one mirror in my house. It is behind a sliding panel in the hallway upstairs."_

The twangy sound of pages being flipped was the only sound that could be heard from one upstairs bedroom on 21 Seasons Street as Ally Kay became immersed in her book. She snuggled comfortably into her bed and continued to read, oblivious to the outside world.

"_Our faction allows me to stand in front of it on the second day of every third moth, the day my mother cuts my hair."_

The stack of pages on the right side of the book, the pages until the end, grew smaller and smaller as the girl continued to devour the story, filled with the peculiar feeling that reading an especially good book will give you. It's not a bad feeling, just a conflicting one. That comes from the wish to both finish and never be done with your tale. It also feels like a warm blanket, and a hug on a bad day, and a small, mischievous smile, and getting just the grade you hoped for on a test, and sinking into a comfortable seat. It is the feeling of everything clicking into place, everything being right in the world.

It is the feeling of contentment.

"_We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, the courage that drives one person to stand up for another."_

Ally's eyes scanned the pages, moving faster and faster until there was only one page left.

"_I suppose that now, I must become more than either."_

With a sigh, Ally shut the book with a dull _thud_. She stared at the cover, the fiery emblem against the stormy-sky background. She needed the sequel. Now. Right away.

But she wasn't done with this book yet.

She felt some sort of loyalty to it, some sort of attachment, like she was obligated to at least look back over it before she moved on. She wondered if that would dull the sadness of finishing it.

Ally opened the book again, flipping to a random page.

"_We're going to slide down a steel cable in a black sling from one thousand feet up."_

She smiled. The zip line scene.

"I wish I could do that," Ally said aloud. "I wish I could zip line with the Dauntless."

Suddenly, the book's pages began to turn, all on their own. Ally jolted back. The pages flicked past each other faster and faster until they reached the end. The book snapped shut. Then it rose up in the air, hovering over Ally's lap, and opened to the exact page she had been on. The words began to spiral out of the page, and Ally watched, wide-eyed, as they swirled around her, enveloping her in a vortex of verses until everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**

Hey guys! This is Ally. For your information, Julie and I will alternate POV chapters. We aren't exactly sure how long this story will be, but we won't disappoint you! So...Here it is! DISCLAIMER: We DO NOT own Divergent.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 1

I race down the wet, slippery sidewalk, skip up the steps of Julie's house, and pound at the door, unable to contain my overflowing excitement. _Bam! Bam! Bam! _The door immediately swings open, revealing an exhausted, angry-looking Julie, her expression livid.

"Why hello, _Ally. _Fancy seeing you on my porch at 3_:00 in the morning!" _She says calmly, but she's glaring daggers at me, "I will have you know that-"

"Julie, there's no time for that! You _have_ to come over now! I've got to show you something!" I grab her arm, and pull her out the door, but she yanks it back.

"Certainly it can wait, because I really must give you a lecture about disturbing other people's sleep! And really, how _do _you get out of bed at this hour?" She adds, "Are you nocturnal, or something?"

"I just couldn't sleep! Please, Julie! You have to come _now_, or it'll be too late!"

She stares at me, confused, "Too late for what?"

"Oh, never mind! Fine! If you don't come right now, I'll tell everyone at school that you have a crush on Noah Finny!" I know this will get to her, because Noah happens to be the very boy that she detests.

Julie's face turns a bright scarlet, and she looks horrified, "Anything- I will do _anything, _as long as you don't spread that rumor!"

"Okay, then let's go!"

Without warning, she suddenly bolts up the stairs, and runs into her room. I'm about to shout at her for going back on our deal, when she emerges, regular clothes on, hair twisted into a perfect, shiny, brown braid.

"I can't be seen in my pajamas even if it's still dark outside! I've got a strange feeling that I won't be going back to bed." She explains, and we rush out into the cool, damp, morning air.

As we run, I hear Julie's heavy combat boots stomp onto the wet concrete, her steps synchronized with mine. I stare up into the dark, misty, sky. The moon is no where to be seen, and thick, grey clouds are rolling in. It might rain. Finally, we reach my house which is a few blocks away from hers. I casually turn the brass knob, and the door creaks open. Although we know that both our parents aren't home from their trip to New York yet, (which they went on together), we creep quietly into the kitchen, up the stairs, down the hall, and into my room, like criminals with a secret to hide. Excitedly, I grab the _Divergent_ book I recently finished off of my dusty shelf, and hand it to Julie, who obviously doesn't know that it isn't a normal copy of _Divergent. _She stares at the shiny fire emblem on the cover, and gives me a perplexed look.

"Julie, you aren't going to believe what this book can do," I say as calmly as I can, but it's not working, "This book allows you to go into it, and experience the events that happen! For example, I actually zip lined with the Dauntless yesterday! How cool is that?! I mean, not only can we _read_ about Tris, but we can _meet_ her in person if we jump into this book! Are you following me?" I add, checking to make sure she understands what this means.

When I look at her, Julie is dumbfounded. She wears a mixed expression of terror and delight. She holds the book firmly, and closes her eyes, "You know, I really, _really_ wish I could believe you, Ally, but it just sounds too crazy! I mean, how can we actually venture into a book? Sorry, but I'm going to need some full proof in order to be certain this is all true."

She presses the book into my palms, and says, "If this is all real, then show me."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hi guys! It's Julie. Sorry I couldn't update super quick (although I don't think anyone is reading this anyway xD). Anyway… yeah. CHAPTER 2, HERE I COME!**

**DISCLAIMER: Last I checked I wasn't a twenty-five-year-old published author by the name of Veronica Roth. But hey, maybe it's changed since 5 minutes ago. (Oh, and I don't own Magic Tree House either.)**

_Chapter 2_

"If this is all real, then show me," I say, looking into Ally's slanting brown eyes.

She takes a deep breath. "All right. Sit down over here," Ally says, patting the purple blanket on her bed. "That's where I was sitting when it happened." She flips to a bookmarked page. "I chose this page earlier," she explains at my perplexed look. "I thought that it would be a safe spot in the book, but a good place to show you."

I catch a glimpse of the page. _"At exactly 7:25, the Dauntless show their bravery by jumping from a moving train."_ Oh… it's when Tris is attending school in the beginning. That makes sense. It will be perfectly safe to teleport in there.

Then I realize I'm thinking about this whole… _book-jumping _thing like it could be real. It can't be. It just can't! Sure, it would be totally amazing, and sure, I'd want to be one of the first to try it. But this _just can't be real…_right?

My train of thought is interrupted when Ally says, "Um… you should probably hold onto my shoulder or something for safety. Just in case I get sucked in and you don't."

I awkwardly place my hand on Ally's (slightly bony) shoulder. "Now, on the count of three," she says calmly. "We'll both say, 'I wish I could go there. I wish I could be at school with Beatrice.'"

I blink. "'I wish I could go there'? Do you mean to say we will be wording it just like Jack and Annie from Magic Tree House?"

Ally puts her hands in front of herself protectively. "Hey, that's what works."

I shrug. "Okay, if you're sure."

"Alright. One, two, three!" exclaims Ally,

"I wish I could go there. I wish I could be at school with Beatrice," we both chorus.

Suddenly, the pages begin to turn, all by themselves. I stare at the book with wide eyes. Is this some kind of trick? I hope it isn't. I hope we can go into this book.

The pages flick by faster, faster, faster until the books draws to a close and slams shut. Then it levitates over Ally and me, opens to the EXACT page we were on, and does something even more amazing than anything else.

The words start to come OUT of the page.

With them come bright, colorful scenes from the book, shimmering like mirages as they swirl around us. The words and scenes encircle us, swirling faster and faster, tighter and tighter until we're swallowed up with them.

Then the tornado spits us out onto a cool, dry floor. I look up to see teenagers in red and yellow, or black and white, or gray, or blue swarming by. I look down to see myself clad in the bright blue uniform of the Erudite, several years older. I subconsciously pat my hair. It is in a tight braid.

Another Erudite girl waves to me. "Hello, Cara! Why in the astrological department would you be on that positively vile floor? Come on! We cannot be late for testing!"

Somehow, I know the girl's name: Abigail. I stand up, brush myself off, and glance over my shoulder to see Ally in the uniform of a Dauntless, chatting away with someone who looks suspiciously like I pictured Uriah. Then I realize what's going on.

We did get sucked into the book. And now we're characters in it.

**A/N: Whew! I apologize if this chapter was bad. I wrote half of it at 6:30 AM. Anyway, REVIEW! If not… well, we haven't fed the tigers lately.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 3

"Uriah! Lynn! Hurry up, or we'll be late for our aptitude tests!" I shout at the two black-clothed, silver pierced people lagging behind me.

I glance curiously at my own dress code, to see that I am wearing all black; a black denim jacket over a tank-top, skinny jeans, and leather combat boots. I look...different. But I like it. As I slip through the hallways, completely forgetting myself, and feeling free as a feather, I pass a bathroom, and decide to check my hair, which feels surprisingly shiny and smooth. I gasp as I gaze at the face in the mirror, which isn't mine at all. In fact, she looks identical to how I imagined Marlene, the Dauntless initiate to look like. With wavy, dark hair, and almond-shaped eyes. What is going on? As I continue to stare at my unusual reflection, it all starts to make sense... Maybe jumping into the _Divergent_ book caused Julie and I to become one of the characters, and go through the same events that they go through! Now that I think about it, last time I visited, I wasn't exactly feeling like myself, and people acted as if they knew me already. But if I'm Marlene, then who is Julie, and where is she?

"Hey, Marlene! What're you doing? Let's go!" Lynn yells, snapping me into reality.

She, Uriah, and I rush to the cafeteria, and plop into three empty seats. Now, all we have to do is wait. Wait for the test that will decide our fate... Well, not exactly. The Choosing Ceremony decides our fate, but this is a test to see what faction we really belong in. While reading _Divergent, _I remember wanting to belong in either Erudite, Amity, or Dauntless, but now, in order to be sure Marlene's character goes along with the story, I will have to choose Dauntless at the ceremony tomorrow. Wait, _tomorrow. _It's not like I'll have a chance to find Julie anytime soon, in the sea of people, so I guess I'll just stay a little longer.

"Pst! Hey, Lynn! I always thought you'd belong in _Abnegation! _You can be such a Stiff sometimes!" Uriah whispers loudly.

Suddenly, it hits me: Erudite! If I could describe my friend Julie in one word, it would be _intelligent! _Of course she would belong amongst the somewhat snooty, information-hungry, glasses-wearing group of smart know-it-alls! (She would take that as a compliment.)

"Hey, Uriah, Lynn. Do you know where I can find the Erudite later today? I need to talk to someone," I say, relieved to finally know the whereabouts of Julie.

Uriah laughs uncertainly, and Lynn just stares at me like I'm stupid. "Are you crazy, Marlene?" She smirks, "Dauntless-born people like us don't interact with other factions. I thought you already knew that. Who do you need to talk to anyway?"

A woman's demanding voice calls my name, and another Dauntless girl's. This is it.

"See you later, guys! Wish me luck!" I say, confidently.

I approach one of the mirror-divided rooms, room 3, where a tall, lean, Erudite woman stands, wearing a navy blue blazer, and a long skirt. Her black heels clack on the shiny floor, as she walks over, and gestures to a reclining chair on her left.

"Sit, please."

I take a seat and glance all around me, and four Marlenes stare back from the mirrored walls. _Remember, you aren't you right now. You're someone else, so if you take a wrong turn, or make a mistake, you won't be ruining your life, you'll be ruining someone else's. _The Erudite lady clamps an electrode to my forehead, then another right next to the first. Then, she attaches one to her own forehead, and passes me a vile of clear liquid that looks like water. I remember what Tori had told Tris in this part, so I down the liquid in one gulp before the lady can tell me what to do next, and the scene starts to change...

I am no longer in the testing room, but appear to be back in the cafeteria. Two baskets sit on a table. One contains a large piece of cheese, and the other holds a long knife.

"Choose an item," I hear an unfamiliar voice instruct.

I immediately grasp the knife's handle, and lift it off of the table.

"What do I do now?" I yell at the ceiling, where I predict the voice is coming from.

A faint squeaking noise answers my question, and out of no where, a large, shaggy dog appears. It bares its sharp, pointy teeth at me, and a shuddering growl escapes its throat. I wave the knife in front of me to shield myself, but it has no effect on the vicious creature, who is now stalking toward me. Now I have no choice but to start fighting it. I must act Dauntless. I charge at the dog, lash the blade out, and hear a sickening _slash_ sound. I look back at the whimpering animal that is now writhing on the floor, revealing a long cut on its forehead made by the knife. This is all a simulation, a test, I remind myself.

Suddenly, the cafeteria changes, and the injured creature fades away. I am now on a bus, and a suspicious-looking man wearing a dark trench coat, hat, and sunglasses, whose face is hidden behind a newspaper sits right next to me. He keeps glancing at me, and I feel a sudden urge to punch him in the face. Finally, he speaks up.

"Do you know who this man is?" He demands, pointing to a picture of a man with a scar on his cheek in the newspaper. I squint at the heading, which showed that the man was wanted for murder.

I shake my head, and ask, "Who are you?"

The mysterious man shifts the newspaper higher, covering more of his anonymous face, "Why should I tell you who I am?"

I look closely at the murderer's black and white face on the paper, then stare intently back at the man wearing the trench coat. Some how, I see a resemblance between the two. _What would the Dauntless do?_ Without thinking, I rip the newspaper from the man's gloved hands, and cry out in triumph.

"Ha! How did I know? _You're _the murderer!" I shout, pointing at the long, jagged scar on his lower cheek. He also has the same nose as the murderer, so I'm sure it's him.

"You have no idea what you've just done...!" The man growls, and curses under his breath. I punch his face, just like I'd planned to, and it starts to contort, and a shiver goes up my spine.

I am back in the mirror-surrounded testing room, sitting in the reclined chair. The Erudite woman is right where she was when I last saw her, and she has the same exact bored expression on her face. She approaches me, and pushes her sharp blue glasses higher up her nose.

"Your results were Dauntless, as you might've expected. You showed acts of bravery when you defended yourself against the dog, and when you realized the man on the bus was the murderer. There is nothing more to say," She explains blandly, and detaches the electrodes from my forehead.

_Mission accomplished, _I think to myself as I leave the room, _Marlene is Dauntless like she's supposed to be, and everything's alright. Well, not everything. I still don't know where Julie is!_


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: HAIIIIIIIIIIII WE HAVE AN ADDITION TO DA BIO THAT YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT! IT'S SUPER AWESOME! so yes this is Julie and I will move on to the chapter now. **

My slight heels make clicking sounds as they slap onto the floor. I'm walking to the cafeteria with Abigail, who is chattering away about what she's read about the aptitude test. It was developed by my faction, of course. All serums I know of are, besides the Candor truth serum and the Amity peace serum,

I shake my head. _My _faction? And how did I know all that? There's only one logical explanation, but I'll need to see a mirror to be sure.

I see a tiled restroom and quickly tell Abigail, "If you'll excuse me for a second, I need to use the facilities over there." She nods assent, and I slip inside.

When I see the mirror, my suspicions are confirmed. My hair has lightened a few shades to a honey-gold tone, and I look sixteen, like everyone taking the aptitude test today. My glasses are rounder, like cat eyes instead of rectangles, and are a tasteful navy blue.

I look exactly how I pictured Cara.

"I knew it!" I whisper to myself. "To go into the book, we had to become part of it."

I exit the bathroom, catch up with Abigail, and make my way to the cafeteria, where I sit with the blue-clothed Erudite. Everyone has a book out, silently reading- my kind of people. I fish a book out of Cara's- no, MY- sky blue messenger bag, somehow knowing it was there. That proves it to me: Ally and I have _become _the characters.

Ally. I forgot about Ally. I wonder where she is. I think she turned into Marlene, based off the looks of the girl sitting on the floor next to me, but there's no guarantee. And how do we get out of the book?

All this runs through my mind, so I almost don't hear my/Cara's name called. I walk slowly to one of the Erudite testing rooms, realizing that although I/Julie am mainly Erudite, all my faction tests point to me being Divergent as well. What is my aptitude test shows that? I don't think that whoever my tester is will be as willing to lie as Tori was for Tris.

I enter the small, bare room, spotting an Abnegation woman standing humbly in the corner. Hatred rises from somewhere deep in my stomach. Abnegation are dirty rotten no-good filthy liars and-

I suddenly don't feel nearly as hateful anymore, looking at the small woman in the back of the room. Where did those thoughts come from? Abnegation are _good_. Thinking about it, I realize that the only logical explanation is my/Cara's anti-Abnegation upbringing. It's influencing my thoughts.

The gray-wearing lady steps forward. "Shall we begin?" she asks quietly. "If you would please sit in the chair?"

I nod, stiff with nerves, and feel the slightest pinch as the volunteer injects me with the serum. All at once, I feel sleepy and dizzy. I close my eyes, and when I open them, I am in a different room.

I'm back in the cafeteria. "Choose," an unfamiliar female voice instructs. Two grainy stone platforms appear before me. One holds a thick yellow wedge of cheese, the other a shining knife.

I think about it for a second and realize that the cheese is the only logical option. If I were to come across an animal, it would make more sense to distract it with the cheese, as I am not particularly fond of hurting things. Besides, what if the animal is more agile than I? Then the knife would be of little help. And what if I run into a person? The cheese would make sense as a gift or bribe, but the knife might make me look threatening.

I grab the cheese just as the platforms begin to disappear. Then I hear a low growling noise behind me. Heart hammering in my chest, I slowly pivot. A large black dog stands before me, teeth bared. I give a quivering exhale, then toss the cheese toward it. Next I kneel down and bow my head as a sign of submission.

I hear the noise of claws clicking on a cold floor. Then a whimpering sound. I cautiously look up, and the dog has transformed into an adorable little puppy, its eyes big and brown. "Aw!" I coo, stroking behind its ear.

Then from behind me, a little girl's voice shouts, "PUPPY!"

Instantly, the snarling beast is back. The dog charges toward the source of the voice. I turn, and there _is _a little girl, running for her life. But the dog is gaining fast.

I desperately scoop up the cheese and throw it at the most sensitive part of the dog: its nose. It jerks back, whimpering, then sees the cheese and begins to eat, distracted. The little girl runs to me, sobbing, and I say, "Now, now, calm down. You just have to be cautious around dogs from now on. Don't surprise them like that, ok?"

And suddenly, the scene dissolves and I'm back in the chair. The Abnegation woman smiles demurely. "Although your actions were a little unorthodox, the thought processes behind them were thoroughly Erudite, which is your result. Thank you for your time."

I walk out of the room, taking deep, relieved breaths. Thank goodness for how Erudite the Cara parts of me are. Now, back to a more pressing problem: how to find Ally and get out of here!

**A/N: Sorry for not putting in the bus scene, I'm on a schedule! :$ Also, in the book I think it says that Tris had to be taken to another scene to be eliminated from the rest of the factions (which failed), but maybe not… Oh well. REVIEW MY MINIONS!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey guys, it's ALLY! I haven't updated for a while! By the way, did anyone watch the Once Upon A Time Season Finale that happened a few weeks ago? SO GOOD! (I feel sorry for Regina, though.) I don't think I can wait until Season 4 which premieres in September! :( Anyway, ENJOY!**

Chapter 5

I run in the sea of crowded Dauntless, toward the fast-moving train, and feel my steps getting slower and slower. Thick, gray clouds are filling the dark sky, and I am reminded of the same exact clouds that had formed earlier this morning in our world, before we entered the book. How long has it even been since then? I seriously need to find Julie before something goes wrong, and something WILL go wrong. I need to at least figure out how to get out of this world, where I can think it out in silence... And I only have a couple minutes to do so, because the train is getting closer and closer each second!

"You ready, Mar?" Lynn shouts over her shoulder to me/Marlene.

"Y-Yes! Ready as I always am!" I reply hesitantly.

Oh no, this is getting problematic. How am I supposed to jump onto a moving train without getting myself killed? And that's just the lesser of two evils- How am I supposed find Julie when one, I'm surrounded by a group of energetic Dauntless in my way, and two, it's like searching for a needle in a haystack! The rumble of the train's movements remind me of my whereabouts, and what's about to happen. I glance around at the black clad Dauntless who are getting ready to leap in, and they are obviously not at all worried about the consequences.

Suddenly I feel adrenaline rushing through my veins, and a strong urge to jump onto the train. For some reason I know I won't fail, as if I've done this before. For some reason I feel calm, and free, and ready to do something risky. I want to jump- _I_ _WILL JUMP._ I take a few steps back for a running start, and tense my calf muscles. The train's wide shadow looms over us, and that's when I sprint, before anyone else, leap into the air, and launch myself into space, eyes automatically snapped shut.

_Thump!_ The sound and feel of solid surface on my feet throws me into a pool of relief. I did it! I just jumped into a speeding train as if my life depended on it (which it sort of did), and I succeeded! (I think it was half because of Marlene's Dauntless thinking and personality, but I can't say I'm not proud of myself.)

A heavy hand claps my shoulder hard.

"That was awesome, Mar! What's gotten into you lately? Not even Zeke can jump like that!" Uriah says excitedly, and gestures to a group of older-looking Dauntless, "Hey, everybody! Don't you think Marlene here deserves some Dauntless recognition? C'mon!"

And before I even know what's happening, I feel my body being tossed into the air, and the sound of loud whooping and cheering fills my ears. I feel elated, and light as a feather (which is ironic, because Marlene's body is not so light due to her height) now that I've accomplished something worthy of a soon-to-be Dauntless-born initiate! I am so happy, that I almost forgot about my other problem. I'm getting too sidetracked trying to portray Marlene. As much fun as it is to be among the Dauntless, I really have to find Julie and get out of here before the real trouble starts brewing.

**A/N: Sorry it was a little shorter than normal, but hope you like! (OR ELSE A VICIOUS TIGER WILL BE WAITING FOR YOU IN YOUR ROOM, ANYTIME NOW...) :) JK! Or am I really...?**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hi. Julie here. I really wish I could come up with a good Author's Note, but I have zero ideas. :/ Oh well… **

**Hey, what about weird holidays? I know it's cliché, but it seems fun. Today (June 4****th****) is Applesauce Cake Day, Hug Your Cat Day, and Old Maid's Day. **

…**well, those are certainly some… CREATIVE holidays. xD**

**ANYWAYS… to the chapter!**

I walk primly out of the cafeteria, heels clacking on the linoleum floor, followed by all the other Erudite-in-training. The Julie part of me wonders, _Where to now? _The Cara part of me quickly supplies an answer: _Back to Erudite headquarters. It would be wise to get rest before the Choosing Ceremony tomorrow. _

It's strange: I can feel the Cara and Julie parts of me together, as one, working together in unison. The Julie half wonders why we work together so well, then answers her own question: we are so alike. Although Cara was portrayed as snobby and unkind, Julie never truly hated her. She felt almost sympathetic- Cara's ingrown prejudices were speaking, not her. And Cara becomes more likeable in _Insurgent_ and _Allegiant_. Julie knew that Cara was like her, logical and intelligent, with a predilection for sophisticated choices.

Suddenly, I stop short amidst the swirling crowd of Erudite walking along the cement road to headquarter. Why am I thinking of myself as _Julie_, instead of _I_? Why do I only think _me _when it's BOTH Cara and Julie working as one? I slowly realize that when I was first dropped into the book, I felt like Julie, like regular me from the regular world. But as time passed, I started thinking even more logically, using even more of Cara's knowledge- _becoming Cara._

Uh-oh.

I need to find Ally. If we become the characters fully, we will forget our own personalities and live out the rest of our lives in _Divergent_. Besides, I don't know how much time has passed in the real world, or if time flows similarly at all. If time here flows the same or faster than in the real world, Ally and I are probably okay- we left on Saturday at 3 AM, so it's 8:00 at home at the latest. But if time here flows slower, then there's no telling when it could be. Days, months, years could have passed. Everyone we had known could be dead, for all we know!

I slow my breathing down and tell myself not to panic. If I can find Ally and get out soon, everything will most likely be fine.

_Find Ally. Live out the rest of our lives in _Divergent_. Could be dead. Everything will be fine._

I realize one more reason we have to leave.

Ally is Marlene, and in Insurgent, Marlene dies.

In the distance, I spot a group of Dauntless jumping onto a train. I recognize Marlene- _Ally_- in their midst. I am about to start making my way over when she makes a flying leap onto the locomotive.

_There went our chance to talk. _

Oh well. Faction boundaries would have left the conversation looking extremely strange anyways. The integrated Choosing Ceremony tomorrow will make a good time to have a private talk with Ally. I can find a broom closet or something to meet in… but how to get Ally over there inconspicuously?

I stare at the mirrored surface of a nearby building, hoping for an idea. Then a sudden jolt of inspiration pops up, like a light bulb turning on over my head.

I dig through Cara's navy book bag balanced on my hip and am rewarded by a small, silvery hand mirror. When I tilt it so it reflects the grayish sunlight, a bright spot dances on a dark skyscraper to the right.

_Perfect._

**A/N: Whew! That might just be my longest chapter! I hope you guys enjoy! So, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated, and so is praise… ;) **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: HELLO ALL! HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! I'M SO EXCITED THE WORLD CUP IS HERE! I PLAY SOCCER, IT'S MY LIFE, AND I'M LIKE, OBSESSED WITH SOCCER! IT'S THE BEST SPORT EVAAA! Sorry I haven't updated for weeks, but here I am now, so...READ UNTIL YOUR EYES FALL OUT! -ALLY!**

Chapter 7

_ WHOOSH! _The train wizzes by factories, buildings, and skyscrapers, as it nears our destination. I notice a faint patch of light on a skyscraper up ahead, and am reminded of how Julie and I used to communicate with each other by reflecting light on flat surfaces with mirrors. Wait, maybe it _is _Julie! She's probably signaling to me with the code we used to use. I just _know_ she is! Only she would be smart enough to think of that! Suddenly, I feel a rush of relief flow over me, like sunlight melting a frozen forest. She must know that I'm somewhere near, and she's trying to get my attention. I have to meet up with her as soon as possible. The Dauntless crowded on the train are positioning themselves to jump off, so I step back too, prepared to leap once again. It won't be hard for me to find that same skyscraper, because it towered over all its neighboring buildings, and won't be difficult to spot.

The train passes in front of a sidewalk landing, and the swarm of us don't waste time to jump, landing hard on our feet. Ouch... too hard. I rub the sole of my right foot, and Uriah walks up to me.

"Hey, see you at the Choosing Ceremony tomorrow! You'd better choose Dauntless!" He grins at me.

"Haha, of course," I reply, "What else would I pick? _Amity?"_

"You are so not Amity, Mar!" Lynn laughs, approaching Uriah, "I can't imagine you skipping around, singing, and picking fruit all day!"

_Yeah, _I think to myself, _Amity is the last faction I would ever want to be in. _I remember disliking Amity the most out of all the five factions while I was reading _Divergent._ They're just so... _useless_. But then again, they did provide a safe haven for Tris, Tobias, and the small group of Abnegation in _Insurgent_. No matter how bloodthirsty, weak, rambunctious, and naïve the ways of each faction can be, they all take part in providing necessities for the whole community. Then eventually, the stupid Erudite come in and ruin everything.

"Yeah, you're right, Lynn! I am Dauntless born, so I'll live the rest of my life being Dauntless!" I say confidently, "Bye! Tell Shauna I still haven't returned her dress yet!"

They wave back, and I start to wonder how I knew that I/Marlene had Lynn's sister's dress. Maybe it's because I'm becoming more of Marlene the longer I stay here. Or we're just so alike, that my/Marlene's brain can't figure out who it belongs to. That logic didn't make any sense which reminds me how different Julie and I can be. She's a smart know-it-all who's always right, and I'm a competitive athlete who loves sports. It's not like I'm not smart, and she's not athletic. They're just our best traits that our friends look up to us for. Speaking of Julie, I really have to get going now. She must be losing hope.

I sprint in the direction of the skyscraper, and see the shiny spot reflecting off of the glassy surface of the building. _She's still there. _(She can be so patient, unlike me). I slow to a jog, and call out, "Julie! Are you there?" I walk the perimeter of the skyscraper, and look for an Erudite girl. If I can't find her, maybe she'll find me instead. Sure enough, I hear my name being called, and a girl who looks like what I imagined Cara, Will's sister (who must be Julie) to look like, rushes toward me, a book bag thumping at her side as she runs.

"Ally! Where in _Divergent_ have you been!" she exclaims, not a hint of happiness or relief is audible in her voice, "I've been thinking of a logical way to communicate with you, and then I thought of using a mirror like we used to back in our world, and apparently it worked!"

"Julie, it's only been a few hours, but it feels like I haven't seen you for years!" I laugh, full of ease and contentment, "I am so glad you thought of doing this, or else we never would've been able to meet up."

Julie grasps my hand, and pulls me aside, "Ally, I need to tell you something. Something simply, logically, _catastrophic_ that could change our lives forever." I nod quickly, and she continues. "First of all, haven't you noticed that you think, act, and talk like Marlene more than usual? Doesn't it seem like you're a different person here? And when I say that I mean mentally as well as physically. Don't you feel like you're starting to... _Blend into one person?"_

I just stare at her in shock, "Umm... That all sounds confusing to me. 'Blending into one person?' Do you mean Marlene is becoming me, and I'm becoming Marlene? How could that be possible? Your logic doesn't make any sense."

"Well of course it doesn't make sense to _you,_" she snorts coldly, "It's all very simple, and I'm getting very impatient here, so _please_ try to understand this! It's all very logical as well, so it shouldn't be hard to understand. I figured out that the more time we spend here, the more we'll forget about our real selves, and pretty soon we'll just become Marlene and Cara!"

"Oh, well now I get it, but just because I'm not some smart aleck like you are, doesn't mean it wouldn't make sense to me! In fact, I'm just as smart as you are, so don't go walking around with your nose in the air like an over-fluffed British poodle!" I snap back.

"There is no such thing as a British poodle. When you're trying to insult someone, at least get your facts straight! My, how imbecilic can you non-Erudite people be?"

I glare into her soul, "Oh, you did NOT just say that! Nobody cares about factual details when it comes to insulting people, seriously! I think you've been spending too much time with those impudent, nerdy, computer machines!"

"The word 'nerdy' should be replaced by the word 'intelligent', for the Erudite have developed all of the simulation serums, and what is a society without knowledge? If you Dauntless have the time to waste with useless weapons and hurting others for no apparent reason but to train, you aren't learning a thing about the world around you," Julie says calmly.

"Well, I'd love to see how you could use information to defend yourselves when you have to protect people and fight! In that situation, the Dauntless would already be prepared from training their whole lives, and they'd be the brave ones who save everyone, and _actually know how to battle." _I retort.

Julie takes out a handkerchief from her bag, and wipes the sweat off her neck, as if all this arguing has been a workout for her, "Whatever, my brain is my best weapon, and no gun or fist can stand a chance against it. Anyway, I didn't call you over to fight. I have a plan, and I need you to listen closely."

"Hmm, I don't know if a _non-Erudite_ person like me will be able to _understand_ what you're saying," I reply, hotly.

"Oh come on, Ally. Where past the arguing. Let's set aside our differences, and get serious! I actually don't know why I just blurted those trashy comments about the Dauntless and... everything else. What I mean is, I'm sorry," Julie says apologetically.

"I know. And it's alright. We did sound pretty stupid after all, and I'm sorry for talking like that too. Now tell me your plan, we need to get going soon."

Julie rummages into her book bag again, and pulls out a tiny hand mirror, "Tomorrow is the Choosing Ceremony, so I figured it'd be the perfect chance to talk to you again. There, we can discuss how to get out of here, and what we're going to do for the time being. We'll meet up in a closet of some sort, where no one will ever find us, and communicate with mirrors. Here, take this. I was lucky enough to find this lying on the ground."

She hands me a small compact mirror, and I smile at her, wondering what I would do without her in this situation. "Great plan, I think it'll work. You might not have to use a mirror, though. If you just wave, or get my attention some way during the ceremony, I might see you, and we can slip out and converse in private."

"Okay, I have to go. I'll trust my Cara instincts to lead me to her home, or wherever she lives at this point in the story. We should be able to survive one quick night, don't you agree? I'll see you tomorrow at the ceremony. Good bye for now," Julie hurries back to the Erudite compound, her cobalt blue blazer ruffling in the wind.

"Yeah," I wave back, "Good bye... For now."

**A/N: Okay, DONE! YAAY! School's almost out! :D**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hey guys, Julie here! If you read Truth Serum (which I WILL make into a multi-part story eventually; be patient), then I can say: I told you I would update soon after I posted that! But I owe an apology to all of you for not updating THIS story. The Great Golden Llama of Motivation and Inspiration has not smiled upon me recently… :( ****Oh well. I'm trying for a long and polished chapter to make up for it, although I can't promise to not have a cliffy… ;) ONWARDS!**

**Disclaimer: (whoops I've been forgetting this) I asked to be Veronica for Christmas, but apparently it's "not the sort of thing normal children ask for". (SO NO I DO NOT OWN DIVERGENT. *HUFF*.)**

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I huddle in the back of a darkened closet, watching through the narrow window as crowds of every faction rush through the crowded hallway leading to the center of the Hub. My breaths come short and quick, and nerves cause a churning pit in my stomach. Today is the Choosing Ceremony, and it's most likely the last chance Ally and I have to reunite and get out of this story.

I wonder how much time we have before it's our turn to choose. The Cara part of me supplies her last name, which luckily begins with F. The Choosing Ceremony starts from the end of the alphabet.

Another piece of luck Cara delivers is the fact that we have maybe thirty minutes until the Ceremony starts. If Ally/Marlene gets here anywhere in the next 20 minutes, then Julie and Ally will have more than enough time to transport back and Cara and Marlene will have more than enough time to find seats. I relax a fraction.

Fractions make me think of the Erudite, and the Erudite make me remember last night. Why would I blurt out such rude things to Ally/Marlene? Was it simply Cara's upbringing in an exclusively intelligent, somewhat unfeeling society and Marlene's in a hot-tempered, battle-oriented one coming to odds? Julie hopes that's all it was, for the sake of her friendship with Ally. Cara assumes it's all it was, for it is the most logical explanation.

We really have to stop thinking about ourselves in third person.

I can feel that the Julie part of me thought that. I don't know how. It's as subconscious as breathing, as subtle as the flapping of a butterfly's wings in a crowded garden, as natural as the sensation of sight, or sound, or touch. The only real explanation for it is our two conflicting senses of _self_.

We are jolted out of our train of thought when we spot Ally/Marlene walking down the hall. Her two companions- Lynn and Uriah- are completely at ease, but she is slightly tensed up, eyes darting around as she tries to spot our pre-arranged signal. Only someone who knows her well would be able to notice it.

I whip out my compact mirror and catch the sunlight streaming through the small windows. Thank goodness it wasn't raining today.

It forms a bright spot on the wall, and I move it in a circle three times. Ally spots it in the middle of the first rotation and relaxes. I angle the mirror downwards, and the light shoots across the floor, stopping just short of the door to the broom closet where I hide. Ally follows it with her eyes, and looks through the dusty, slim window. She catches my eye and winks.

"Hey, I think I was supposed to wait for someone," says Ally, her voice slightly muffled by the glass. "I can't remember who, though. Oh well, they'll find me. I'll wait here. You guys go ahead."

I briefly wonder why I think of Ally/Marlene as just regular Ally so easily. Perhaps it's because Cara didn't know Marlene before. That explains why there are no previous memories of just Marlene competing with my memories of Ally that say the girl before me is her- same smile, same personality, same happy and determined attitude.

Ally stands outside the door, casually leaning against the wall, for a few minutes while the stream of people slows to a trickle, then stops. We have maybe ten minutes, so this has to be fast.

"Hi," says Ally.

"Hi," I answer.

We look at each other for a second. Ally narrows her eyes. "What are _you_ looking at?" She crosses her eyes. "I'm beautiful and fabulous. Don't stare, though. I could blind you."

I laugh. I forgot how good it feels to just relax and be happy with Ally. Then I remember what we're trying to do and get serious again.

"We have to transport back. How did you do it last time?" I ask.

Ally's face scrunches up as she thinks back. "I just sort of… imagined home. I thought, _I need to go back home now._ And when I opened my eyes, I was there."

I nod. "Let's try it, then."

I place my hand on Ally's shoulder and thought as hard as I could about Ally's room- the bright purple bedspread, the books and movies neatly stacked on her shelf, the plush carpet where we had collapsed so many times after intense "arguments" about books. I think with all my heart and mind, _I need to go there. I need to go home. I need to go back to my own world._

My eyes open on the dusty hallway. We haven't budged an inch.

I turn sharply to Ally. She is staring at me, wide-eyed, horrified, dumbfounded. She probably reflects my expression perfectly.

"Why didn't it work?" she asks, a nervous edge to her voice.

"You're asking me? All I can think of is that something is different from last time. Maybe you have to be in a certain place or try at a certain time. Maybe we did something wrong. Maybe we stayed in too long, and now we can't go back!" My voice has risen shrilly by the end, and I take deep breaths, trying to calm my racing heart.

"Maybe we should try again," suggests Ally. She, too, is on the verge of panic.

So we try again. And again. And again. Nothing happens.

Ally cocks her head. "Uh-oh," she says.

I'm filled with rising dread. We have enough bad stuff happening already. "What?"

"The Choosing Ceremony is starting. I can hear."

I listen carefully, and, sure enough, I can hear names starting to be called.

"I'll think on it," I say, forcing myself to be calm. "We can't miss the Ceremony. Let's go. I'll find some way to contact you. I'll think of something. We have to try."

Ally nods, face grim and resigned. We walk down the empty hallway, shoes clacking and eddies of dust swirling. The eerie emptiness makes my beating heart sound ten times louder. If we don't get back, soon enough Ally's will stop.

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**A/N: That ending note was a little creepy, huh? I was referring to when Marlene dies, if you don't get that. Anyway, review if you got swag! That was my longest chappy by far, so enjoy the treat!**


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